NIA to make one thousand dollar payments to Four Season’s workers affected by temporary closure
By: Chaïra Flanders
Basseterre, St. Kitts, August 19, 2019 (ZIZ News): All workers of the Four Seasons Resort on Nevis can expect a cash payment in the sum of one thousand Eastern Caribbean dollars from the Nevis Island Assembly (NIA) this month.
This follows a decision made by the Cabinet of the Nevis Island Administration on June 26th, to provide relief to affected workers hampered with back to school expenses.
Premier of Nevis, Hon. Mark Brantley made the announcement during an address to the nation on Sunday August 18.
“Many are faced with the challenge of back to school expenses to ensure that their children get their books and uniforms and other requirements for when schools reopen in September. To this end on June 26, 2019, the Cabinet of the Nevis Island Administration convened to consider whether the government could offer any additional relief to affected Four Seasons workers to assist them with the expected back to school expenses”, Premier Brantley explained.
He continued, “I am pleased to report that after some deliberations and under the guidance of the Ministry of Finance, the cabinet took the decision to offer each of the affected Four Seasons workers a cash payment of $1,000 to assist in defraying back to school expenses for their children.”
The Four Seasons Resort closed its doors temporarily on June 1, 2019 to renovate the structure and agreed to make a payment of 25 percent of salaries to each of the affected three hundred and sixty-one workers during the period of closure.
Premier Brantley said his government waived any taxes payable on the 25 percent and convinced Social Security to do the same and requested that financial institutions grant relief to the employees as well during this time.
He said, “My government also wrote to all the banks and other financial institutions on the island, and requested that they grant some relief to workers who might have mortgages or other indebtedness to them during this difficult period,”
Mr. Brantley also announced that cheques have been prepared by the Treasury, and can be collected at the Anglican Church Hall in Charlestown between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Wednesday August 21 2019.
The Nevis Premier thanked his cabinet colleagues, Permanent Secretary Colin Dore and his team at the Ministry of Finance and at the Treasury on Nevis who supported the idea of the payment.
All employees are expected to return to work on September 16, 2019. The resort is expected on to reopen on October 1.